Vignetter.



PATBNTED DEG. 1,- 1903.

M. V. CARTER.

VIGNETTER.

AMLIOATION FILED un. s, 190s.

FO MODEL.

ivo. 745,324.

UNITED STATES 'atented December 1, 19035 PATENT OEEICE.

VIGNETTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,324, dated December1, 1903. Application iiled April 6, 1903. Serial No. 151,368. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it ntay concern:

Beit known that 1, MASON V. CARTER, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Jefferson, in the county of Jefferson and State oflVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Vignetter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to vignetters, and has for its object toprovide a support for a vignetting-card by means of which the height andangle of inclination of the card may be adjusted by the photographerwithout leaving his station behind the camera.

A further object of the invention is to improve the construction andoperation of vignettes, so that the adjustments thereof may be effectedwith less difficulty and in less time than in vignetters as heretoforeconstructed.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction ofvignetters and to so form and arrange the parts as to present a neat andattractive appearance at all times and to be readily foldable, so as tooccupy but little space when not in use.

iVith the obj eet above stated and others in view, which will appearwhen the invention is more fully disclosed, the same consists, generallystated, in a supp0rting-arm pivotally connected with the forward end ofa camera stand, a card-holder mounted .on the free end of said pivotedarm, and means operable by the photographer from his position behind thecamera for raising and lowering said supporting-arm and adjusting theposition of the card-holder thereon.

In describing` the invention reference will be had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which correspondingparts are designated by the same characters of reference throughout thevarious views in which they appear, it being understood that changes maybe made in the form, proportions, and exact mode of assemblage of theelements exhibited without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing and of its advantages.

1n' the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in per speetive of a camera-standwith my improved vignetter attached thereto, the parts of the vignetterbeing disposed in operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thevignetter and the top of a camera-stand. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of acamera stand with the vignetter in inoperative position. Figs. i and 5are detail views showing the construction of the extensible adjusting-rod and the means for locking the operating-rods in position.

A Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a eamerastand of ordinary typehaving attached thereto at the forward end by means of screw-eyes 2 themain shaft 3 of the vignetter. The main shaft il has projecting inalinement with the median line of the camerastand an arm A1, composed oftelescopic members 5 and C, which are adjustable in position by means ofa clamping-collar 7 and which forms the main supporting-arm of thevignetter. 'The section 5 is rigidly secured to the main shaft 3 in anydesired manner. Section G has at its forward end a rounded head 8,provided with a transversely-disposed opening for the insertion of apivot 0, upon which is mounted an arm 10, preferably formed of sheetmetal and having a U-shaped cross-section, as shown. The arm 10 isprovided at its upper end with a clip 11 for supporting avignetting-eard 12 of the usual type. As the arm 10 supports the clip11, it will hereinafter be referred to as the clip-arm7 orclip-supporting arm.

The main shaft 3 has inserted into one side thereof a pair of screw-eyes13, which afford journals for the crank-shaft 1l, at each end of whichthere is a curved terminal lying in a plane substantially at rightangles to the main portion of the crankshaft. One of said terminals liesimmediately adjacent to the arm 4:, and the curvature thereof isdirected forward. The other terminal of the crankshaft is adjacent tothe end of the main shaft 3 and is directed rearward. Pivotally attachedto the first-named terminal is a connectingrod 15, composed of twohalf-round members 1G and 17, connected by means of a clampingcollar 1S.The member 1G has its end connected with one terminal of the crankshaft14 and is downwardly curved, as shown. The member 17 has its endconnected with the clipsupporting arm 11 and is upwardly curved, as isalso shown in the drawings. At the right end of main shaft 3, which isadjacent to one end of the crank-shaft 11i, there is rigidly mounted acurved arm 1i), having substantially the same curvature as the adjacentterminal of crank-shaft 1li. The curved arm lil and the adjacenttermimtl oi.' crank-shaft 'l-lare connected by means el. curved links 2Uand 2l with operating-rods 22 and 23, pret'- erably ol.- the fornishown, each having' at its Verward end an upwardly-bent portion,designated -land and terminating at the rear in eyes 2b' and 27. Theoperating-rods and L pass rearward through guide-loops 28 and 21), andin order to hold them in any desired position the operating-rods areprovided on their under surfaces with notches BO, which are adapted tobe brought into engagement by the resiliency ot' the nutterial of whichthe rods are composed with a lug 3l, formed by bending upward the rearend ot' the base ot' the guide 2f).

The clip l l, in which the vignette-card l2 is supported, nniy be ot"any suitable construction, but the preferred ilorm is that illustrated,and consists ol' a rod il?, having a central horizontal portion 33 andupturned ends Zit, and the spring clamping member 235, the ends olfwhich are coiled around the horizontal portion 32 ot' rod Il and lockagainst the upturned ends 231), thus causing the spring to engagenormally with the upturned ends ot the rod, as shown.

ln use the lengths oli' supporting-arm -i and coniiecting-rijiifl ,l5are adjusted by means otl the ciampiiig-collars provided thereon to suitthe focal length olf the lens Ot' the camera with which the vignetter isused. The vignette-card l2 is mounted in the clip ill in the usual way,and the device is set in position by means olf the operating-iods 22 and225. lto( 2:. is connected with link 20, which is in. turn connectedwith arm l?. Rod is connected with link 2l, which is pivotally connectedwith the terminal ot" crank-shaft l-i, so that a pull upon the rod 22will cause the elevation oil the arm land a pull upon rod 2,13 will turnthe crank-shaft l-.t in its bearings and through the connecting-rod l5will swing the clip-supporting arm .1.0 toward the camera. The notcheson the under suriliaee ot' each of the operating-rods are so t'ormedthat the .rods may be drawn backward freely over the lug 3l withoutobst-ruction therei'rom; but when the rods are released the notches willbe engaged by the upturned lug on the base of guide member 2t), thuspreventing the rods from moving torward. ln order to lower the vignettorwhen it is desired to iold it and get vit ont ot' the way, the rear endsoi' the operating-rods must be raised before they can be moved forwardto lower the sections of the vignette. As it is desirable when thevignetter is out of use to have the clip ,ll held in as nearly verticalposition as possible to keep the card out ol. the way, the operating-rod23, by means of which the position et the vignetter is adjusted, will benormallyT held in retracted position, with the terminals ot thecrank-shaft1.4 disposed upward, so that the vignetter will be held. inthe position shown in Fig.

As the ends ot' the operating-arnis and 23 lie near the rear portion ofthe camerastand and as they alone iorm the means [for controlling themovementoli' the vignettecard after the length of the suppin'ting-arm -ihas been adjusted to the local. length oli' the camera-lens, it is clearthat the photographer will not be obliged to lea've his position behindthe camera in order to adi ust the vignetter-card to the desiredposition, but the desired adjustment may be accoml'ilished as well fromthe position behind the camera by means of the operating-rods as itcould be done by hand if he were in front of the eamera. Indeed, asidefrom the gain ihn time resulting from the photographer not having toleave his position behind the camera there is an additional gain,because the adjustments may be ei'iected wh ile the photographer iswatching` the ei'tect ot' the vignetter as seen upon the ground glass etthe camera and is thus enabled to tell at once when the desiredadjustment is obtained. \Vhen a vignetter is adjusted from the i'iontoli' a camera, it is necessary at'ter making each al'iproximateadjustment to return to the rear ol. the camera to observe Pjust whatthe el't'ect is, and consequently it is only at'ter a succession olattempts to set the vignetter in proper position that it can beaccomplished. By the device hereinbeiore described it is possible to setthe vignette in almost exactly proper position at the Iirst attempt, asthe height oi' the vignette card is controlled by the lever, which maybe set Very accurately at the first eilort, and the inclination ot' thevignette card, which will not materially all'ect the height oi' theupper edge thereof, is accomplished by another lever, so that only onelever need be operated at a time and the photographei"s attention maybedirected solely to the ellect oi the vignetter and not to the means ol.'adjusting it.

Having thus described the construction and operation oi my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent7 is` l. rlhecombination in a vignetter of a supporting-arm adapted to bepivotallyeonnected with the forward end ol a camera-stand and to hangnormally downward, a clip-arm at the l'ree end ol said supporting-arm,and means operable from the rear of the camerastand for raising andsecuring said supporting-arm in position.

i?. The combination in a vignetter ot' a supporting-arm adapted to bepivotallyconnected with the front end of a camera-stand and to hangnormally downward, a clip-arm pivotally connected with the l'ree end ofsaid supporting-a rm, operating means connected with said supporting-armand operable from the rear ot' the camera-stand, and means also operablefrom the rear of a camera-stand for folding said clip-arm against saidsupportingarm..

3. The combination in a vignetter, ot' a sha-ft, bearings for said shafton the front eli' IOC IIO

ISO

the camera-stand, a supporting-arm `rigidly secured to said shaft, aclip-arm 'pivotally mounted at the front end of said supportingarm, acrank-shaft supported in bearings provided on the first-mentioned shaft,connections between said crank-shaft and said cliparm, and separateoperating means operable from the rear of the camera-stand for the shaftcarrying the supporting-arm and the crank-shaft mounted thereon.

4. The combination in a yignetter of a shaft,a supporting-arm rigidlysecured to said shaft, bearings for said shaft on the front end of acamera-stand, an arm rigidly attached to one end of said shaft, anoperating-rod mounted in guides on said camera-stand, a link convnecting said operating-rod and said arm, and

means for engaging said operating-rod to hold said supporting-arm in anyposition.

5. The combination in a Vignetter of a shaft pivotally mounted on thefront end of a camera-stand, a supporting-aim rigidly attached to saidshaft, a clip-arm pivotally connected with the free end of saidsupportingarm, a crank-shaft mounted in bearings on said first-mentionedshaft, a connecting-rod attached at one end to a terminal of saidcrank-shaft and at the other end to said cliparm, and devices operablefrom the rear of the camera-stand for adjusting the position of thefirst-mentioned shaft and adjusting the position of said crank-shaft.

G. The combination in a vignetter of a shaft pivotally attached to thefront end of a camera-stand, an extensible supporting-arm rigidlymounted on said shaft, a lever-arm secured also to said shaft, acrank-shaft pivotally mounted on said first-mentioned shaft, a clip-armpivotally mounted on the free end of said supporting-arm, an extensibleconnection between said crank-shaft and said cliparm, operating-rodsforthe rst mentioned shaft and the crank-shaft slidably mounted on thecamera-stand, links connecting said operating-rods with a lever-arm onsaid firstmentioned shaft, and a terminal on the crankshaft, and meansprovided on the camerastand for engaging said operafin g-rods to holdthem in any desired position.

7. The combination in a Vignetter of a su pportingnrm pivofally attachedto the forward end of a camera-stand, a clip-arm pivotally attached tothe free end of said sup porting-arm, means for adjusting the positionof said clip-arm on said supporting-arm, and means for raising andlowering the said supporting-arm comprising an operating-rod associatedwith said supporting-arm, guideways for said rod mounted on saidcamerastand, a series of notches on the under snrface of said rod, and alug on said stand adapted to engage Withsaid notches.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixedmy sign ature in the presence of two witnesses.

MASON V. CARTER.

Witnesses ADAM G. Fncns, W. A. Muon.

